Infex Therapeutics has filed for a UK patent for a novel therapy designed to tackle all coronavirus strains. The COV-X program targets a protein which is essential for viral replication across a broad spectrum of related coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2. If successfully developed, the treatment aims to form… Read More
Researchers in the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania have published a new preclinical study which found hormone drugs that reduce androgen levels may help disarm the coronavirus spike protein used to infect cells and stop the progression of severe COVID-19 disease. The study, published online in Cell Press’s iScience, showed how two… Read More
The Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) has notified the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and AstraZeneca that it is “concerned by information released by AstraZeneca on initial data from its COVID-19 vaccine clinical trial”. Trial volunteers received two standard… Read More
A Phase III study of the Oxford-AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine conducted by AstraZeneca in the US, Chile and Peru has shown that the vaccine is safe and highly effective, adding to previous trial data from the United Kingdom, Brazil and South Africa, as well as real-world impact data from the United Kingdom. In the trial, which… Read More
Scientists at the University of Oxford have released pre-print data measuring the level of antibodies that can neutralise or stop infection from variants that are circulating in South Africa, Brazil and elsewhere. The data suggests that natural- and vaccine-induced antibodies can still neutralise these variants, but at lower levels. Importantly,… Read More
The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Stelis Biopharma, the biopharmaceutical division of Strides, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in India, have partnered to produce and supply a minimum of 200 million doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19, sufficient to vaccinate 100 million people. Sputnik V is now approved for… Read More
This exclusive podcast features Dr Hongshan Li, Applications Manager, Sartorius, discussing advances in cell and protein analysis for virology research. This episode examines virology research – what’s currently happening in the sector and how new advances in technology are helping push forward innovation and drug development. With COVID-19 playing such… Read More
Andrew Aldridge, Partner at Deepbridge Capital explains why life science sector has shot up the UK investment agenda as vaccinations are rolled out. The past twelve months have showcased the importance of medical developments like never before. Innovation in the life sciences sector has been headline news around the globe and… Read More
Medicago, a biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Quebec City, and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have begun Phase III clinical testing of Medicago’s plant-derived COVID-19 vaccine candidate in combination with GSK’s pandemic adjuvant, as part of the ongoing Phase II/III study. Medicago received approval from Canadian and U.S. regulatory authorities to proceed with enrolment… Read More
More than half of cancer patients receiving a single dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine may be left with little protection against the virus, according to a new preprint from researchers at the Francis Crick Institute and King’s College London. Data from the world’s first reported trial to examine the… Read More
Moderna has announced that the first participants have been dosed in the Phase II/II study, called the KidCOVE study, of mRNA-1273, the company’s vaccine candidate against COVID-19, in children ages 6 months to less than 12 years. The study is being conducted in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and… Read More
Moderna has announced that the first participants have been dosed in the Phase I study of mRNA-1283, the company’s next generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate. mRNA-1283 is being developed as a potential refrigerator stable mRNA vaccine that will facilitate easier distribution and administration by healthcare providers Stéphane Bancel, Chief Executive Officer… Read More
Sanofi Pasteurand Translate Bio, a clinical-stage mRNA therapeutics company, have announced the start of the Phase I/II clinical trial for MRT5500, an mRNA vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2. The companies expect interim results from this trial in the third quarter of 2021. Thomas Triomphe, Executive Vice President and Global Head of… Read More
Patients with severe COVID-19 show increased levels of a key protein in their blood, which researchers believe may help identify those most at risk. In an analysis of more than 500 COVID-19 patients across the UK, researchers identified several inflammatory markers in blood which increased within the early stages of… Read More
Data analytics company, GlobalData says that if new SARS-CoV-2 variants continue to develop, reducing the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines and the natural immunity of survivors, then annual booster shots may be required for COVID-19 immunity. Johanna Swanson, Product Manager at GlobalData, said: “Of the several natural variants that have recently been… Read More
Tocilizumab, an anti-inflammatory drug used to treat rheumatoid arthritis, was found to improve outcomes in severely ill COVID-19 patients. These results were found from a new trial conducted in hospitals across India. Researchers from the University of Bristol and Medanta Institute of Education and Research in India who led the… Read More
